Earlier this week, Esperanza was blessed to have a formal inauguration of the beautiful new office located in Samaná. The front room overlooking the center plaza was packed with more than twenty people rejoicing in the new chapter of the Samaná branch office. Pastors, doctors, associates, staff, and community leaders were all joined together in one room to celebrate the juncture.

The event started off with an encouraging homily and prayer from Wanda Johnson, a pastor at Iglesia de Dios Adulan. Wanda, along with all the countless other pastors working with Esperanza, has created a bridge for the associates of Esperanza and the church community. After Wanda’s sanctified sermon, the Executive Director of Esperanza, Alexandra Nunez, gave a welcoming introduction. Alexandra spoke on the essence of Esperanza and the many opportunities that the new office brings. She stated that more than six thousand families had been reached through Esperanza in Samaná only, excluding all of the eight other branch offices in the Dominican Republic. Six thousand families have been helped through the hard work of the Samaná staff. Alexandra then professed that this was just the beginning; with the new office Samaná’s team would hopefully double that amount. She concluded her discussion by thanking God for blessing Esperanza with such incredible staff, associates, and partners sitting in the room. One of these blessed people in the room was Ines Calcaño, who Alexandra invited up to speak to everyone.

Inés, pictured below with Alexandra, has been an associate of Esperanza for ten years. With the help of Esperanza, she has been able to grow her business into the great catering shop that it is today. Ines enlightened us with her hard-working demeanor and shared her story on how Esperanza’s dedication to Christ has helped her overcome difficult times in her life.

​​She also spoke of the community of women that have become so close and so strong thanks to Esperanza. Ines stole the hearts of everyone in the room when she read the poem she had written about what Esperanza means to her (you can read the poem in English at the end of the blog). One line that stood out was “De esperanza aprendimos algo que es muy real. No es llevar el pescado sino es ensenarnos a pescar.” In English: “From Esperanza we learned something that is very real. It’s not about catching fish, it’s about teaching how to fish.” She masterfully put into words the mission, goals, and outcomes of Esperanza.

After Ines’s striking words, Nelly Ulerio, Director of Microfinance, went up to the front and joked “Well that’s pretty much it, don’t need to hear from me” in response to Ines’s incredible poem. Nelly spoke on the financial aspect of Esperanza, but she also emphasized the idea of Esperanza’s “mas que un prestamo” vow. The importance of health initiatives like cervical cancer tests, connections with the church, and educative courses are all key aspects to Esperanza’s mission and the factors that separate us from other banks. At the end of Nelly’s speech she introduced the staff of the Samaná branch office and invited them up to the front for the momentous cutting of the ribbon to formally introduce the new space. Samaná’s branch staff includes Lariely Azor (Branch Office Manager), Yoselin Calcaño (loan officer), Juan Francisco Nuñez (loan officer), Elizer Gerónimo (loan officer), Cármen José Kelly (facilitator), Carlolina Forchue (administrator), and Dionisio Nivar (chauffer).

Pastor Gerlín Félix then gave a moving sermon and ended by having everyone stand on their feet, raise their hands, and pray together. The Branch Office Manager, Lariely Azor, welcomed and thanked everyone in the room on behalf of the Samaná team. She affirmed “without all of you and without God, none of this would be possible”. Pastor Andrea Rodríguez from the Cascabeles Segunda church spoke the final words and blessed the Esperanza staff, the new office, and the community of Samaná. The event ended with food and refreshments for everyone to enjoy and community members were able to socialize. The event was a success filled with joy, pride, and gratitude. The occasion had everyone excited for the new chapter of Esperanza in the Samaná community. Thanks be to God!

Check out the poem shared by Ines and some more pictures below!

Cuando conocí a Esperanza, parte de mi vida cambio
Fue una charla muy bonita y me puse a meditar
Lleve la inquietud a mi grupo y lo pude organizar
Le conté lo de esperanza y se llenaron de emoción
Si nos pusimos de acuerdo pues somos mujeres en acción
De esperanza aprendimos algo que es muy real
No es llevar el pescado sino es ensenarnos a pescar
Como era yo madre soltera ahí me puse a pensar
Cojo  un préstamo en Esperanza y me pongo a trabajar
Es por eso que a Esperanza yo no le puedo fallar
Mi comida por encargo ese es mi propio negocio
Como me gusta cocinar ahí es que yo me gozo
Con mis ahorros compañeras he logrado mi objetivo
Arreglando así mi casa y ahora cómoda vivo
Y esperanza señores tengo hermanos y tengo amigos
Aparte de hablar de negocios se leen pasajes de la biblia
Compartimos la palabra unidas todas en familia
No se olviden compañeras de las reglas de Esperanza
Cumplir con las reuniones, también con los ahorros
Pagar a tiempo y completo invertir el dinero en su negocio
Cumplimos con Esperanza y crece nuestro negocio.

When I met Esperanza, part of my life changed
It was a beautiful chat, and made me begin to meditate
I took my restlessness to my group and I was able to organize
I told them about Esperanza and they were filled with excitement
So we agreed to do it because we are Women in Action (name of Esperanza Bank)
From Esperanza we learned something that is very real
It’s not about catching fish, it’s about teaching how to fish
As a single mother, that made me think
I took out a loan with Esperanza, and it put me to work
That’s why I cannot fail Esperanza
My catering is my own business
I like cooking, it’s where I find joy
With my savings I achieved my goal of fixing my house
And now I live comfortably
And everyone, in Esperanza I have brothers and sisters and friends
Besides talking business, we read Bible passages
We share the Word united as a family
My companions, never forget the rules of Esperanza
Be at the meetings, and stay on top of your savings
Pay on time, and invest the money in your business
We comply with Esperanza and we grow our business